


The Hierophant

by swanfrost



Series: tarot (tokyo ghoul week) [3]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: really really cliche im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-07
Updated: 2015-02-07
Packaged: 2018-03-10 20:49:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3302999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanfrost/pseuds/swanfrost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>hierophant: of knowlede, of deception, of duality. of trust and respect; of kaneki ken and tsukiyama shuu.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Hierophant

**Day 3: Hierophant :** **KNOWLEDGE, DECEPTION, DUALITY**

_deception (or not)_

* * *

When Tsukiyama stepped up, moonlight casting pale beams onto his sly, crooked smile, falling to his knees and pledging his allegiance to Kaneki, the boy immediately switched on his guard. After all, only a few weeks earlier, the very man that bowed before the young ghoul now had been doing his damnest to eat him.

But, the boy thought, as he looked into Tsukiyama's determined eyes, maybe this wouldn't be a complete disaster after all. Even though the smile that seemed to slink across the older man's lips never reached his eyes, Kaneki, with his newly heightened senses and his colder gaze, could see the sincerity in Tsukiyama's words.

So he agreed, and Tsukiyama was thus branded as Kaneki Ken's sword.

In the beginning, Kaneki was forever wary of the lanky man that sauntered so calmly behind him. On many occasions, when Tsukiyama approached Hinami for whatever reason, Kaneki would shoot a dark glare at the back of the taller man's head.

But, every time, that irritating smile would widen with amusement, and he'd slowly back away, hands raised in mock surrender.

Slowly, as the weeks passed and time continued on, Kaneki realized that Tsukiyama had managed, despite his precautions, to wriggle his way into their tight knit group. He'd take Hinami out on walks and tuck flowers underneath her hair, all while telling odd but somehow funny jokes (as the younger girl had so tactfully said). To Banjou, he'd treat him out to coffee, conversing politely. Sometimes they came back with flowers folded into Banjou's hair too.

As the months slipped by, swift and silent, like water running through fingertips, it seemed as if everyone had dropped their guard around the enigmatic man, smiling and laughing with him like he was long lost kin. And soon, Kaneki found himself smiling too, eyes shining brighter and heart feeling lighter than they had been in a long time. Sometimes, he'd find himself relaxing in Tsukiyama's presence, returning the man's tilted smiles with sincere smiles of his own.

Most of the ghouls had accepted Tsukiyama, who often flitted from person to person with a beaming face and spouting French phrases in his odd way of socializing. Even Kaneki's previous caution had dissipated, leaving a vague sense of trust and respect.

But sometimes, when all was quiet and Kaneki had the rare chance to observe Tsukiyama in a calm, relaxed state, sometimes, he thought he'd seen a glimmer of insatiable hunger darken those deep purple eyes, catch sight of a pink tongue flick in and out, as if the man was savoring a delectable meal.

Kaneki never let his attention truly waver.

It took only a single incident to change his mind.

One night, when dark storm clouds covered the sliver of silver moon and the stars didn't exist at all, Kaneki Ken found himself lying underneath the shadows in a dark alleyway of the 2nd ward. As he lay there, winded and bruised and bleeding from some deep cut somewhere, vision blinking black and white, his mind blanked. Oh no, it wasn't the pain; he'd been through worse (Jason, his mind whispered helpfully, one thousand minus seven).

As he lay there, barely registering the snicker ghouls that had ambushed him (he'd been careless, he thought crossly), looking up into the dark sky, a sudden pang of loneliness shot through his chest.

Maybe, he thought, grimacing as he felt a sharp kick in the ribs, maybe I'm going to die out here alone, from the hands of some low class street ghouls who have nothing better to do.

Maybe—

A spray of blood shot out over him, the red, sticky liquid splashing over his face and chest. Faintly, he heard a scream, a who the hell are you, and then, a very familiar voice.

"Bonsoir, gentlemen," a calm voice cut through Kaneki's murky thoughts.

Good evening?

More screams and pained cries quickly followed, and Kaneki would've laughed out loud if he wasn't bleeding his guts out.

Above him, a gleaming kagune swirled, like a deadly ribbon, like a blade of steel. A purple striped suit and grey leather shoes appeared in his vision, and suddenly, all was silent. Around him lie corpses of ghouls, and in his semi-conscious state, he could feel Tsukiyama's eyes burning holes through his body.

Is he going to eat me? Kaneki's mind wondered, and an inner voice whispered, (you were a fool for trusting him; a fool for believing in his words).

But Tsukiyama took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and called back his twisting kagune. In the next instant, all Kaneki felt was arms wrapping around his body before darkness took over.

He woke up to a worried-looking Hinami hovering over him and a stressed Banjou pacing all over his room. As his eyes fluttered open and his body adjusted, he realized that he was bandaged and home, away from the 2nd ward.

"Tsukiyama-san brought you home," Hinami supplied, taking note of Kaneki's confused look.

Oh.

The door slowly swung open and in strode Tsukiyama Shuu, beaming at Hinami and nodding politely to Banjou, who scoffed back, before turning full attention onto the white-haired boy sitting on the bed.

"Well, speak of the devil and he shall appear," Kaneki said, smiling. This smile reflected in his eyes, and Hinami's breath caught; for he hadn't smiled like that in a long time.

At being called a devil, Tsukiyama's slender eyebrow raised slightly, and he opened his mouth to protest, but Kaneki beat him.

"Thank you."

Distrust traded for respect, wariness traded for acceptance. It wasn't perfect, but then again, what else in this world was?

FIN

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: I will say that this one is my least favorite one, and I went with a cliche just for the sake of getting it out on time. So, apologies for the low quality. Still, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


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